Lifelong Educator Gives Her All and then some....

Fannie Owens has been a part of the Covenant House Michigan (CHM) family for seven years. There is not a day that goes by when Fannie isn’t teaching. Ms. Owens has been a lifelong learner and educator. She worked for the Detroit Board of Education for many years, teaching alternative education and GED preparation. She has also taught in the charter school and parochial school systems, as well as the Wayne County Health Department, where she taught health education for young mothers and children. “Education is a lifelong process. You never stop learning and that’s why I enjoy it,” says Fannie.

With all of this teaching under her belt, it was only fitting that when Mr. Joseph, CHM Executive Director asked Mr. Walker, CHM GED Manager, if he knew of any exceptional teachers, that he knew exactly who to call. Ms. Owens came right away to begin helping the homeless and at-risk youth at CHM. She sees the potential in youth and wants them to realize that being educated is one of the most important things in life. “I’ve seen kids labeled with learning disorders and found that underneath it all they were afraid,” said Ms. Owens. “Kids will tell me, ‘I can’t do fractions, I can’t read,’ and then I work with them on learning to read things that interest them, such as comic books or romance novels and they really want to do it. I tell them these skills will be a part of their entire life. You need to know how to read to take medication or fill out a job application.”

Ms. Owens teaches them how to breakdown words so they can be understood. Learning to read better helps them with their vocabulary as well. She explained that many times helping a child in one family will have a domino effect. “The child will be so proud of their accomplishments that they go home and encourage their parents or their siblings to learn,” said Fannie.

Year after year, Ms. Owens plays a vital role in helping our youth obtain their GEDs. Since Covenant House partnered with the Detroit Public Schools and White Hat Management Co. to open three second chance charter schools, Ms. Owens began teaching at the Covenant House Life Skills Center in the former Holy Redeemer School Building from 8-5 Monday through Friday. In addition, she commits herself to helping those youth who are unable to attend the schools by volunteering in the GED program from 5-7:30 p.m. on weeknights and Saturday afternoons.

“Last year one of the girls who obtained her GED was the first ever in her family to get an education. Her parents only made it to middle school before dropping out. She was just so proud she had accomplished so much,” expressed Fannie proudly. “Another girl who checks in with me from time to time had dropped out to take care of her children. She is currently working at a factory and owns her own home in Warren!”

Fannie expresses her belief in the Covenant House mission. “CHM is like a family. Everyone seems genuine in helping our youth because we all know they’re our future. The one thing about CHM is that we lay down a foundation.” Fannie explains that many of CHM’s kids come from broken homes where their parents were babies themselves when they had them.

These kids are lost in the system and stuck in a cycle of poverty. “We come along and say, ‘Look we understand and we’re going to help you. We’ll show you what true friendship and unconditional love is,’” she says. “You have to build their trust and show them there are people out here who really care.” Not everyone that Fannie helps will get their GED or High School Diploma. “These kids are truly a joy,” says Fannie. “Even if they mess up, they’ll come back for reassurance to move forward again.” With the help of Ms. Owens, over 200 youth have obtained their GED at CHM.